Did Delhi Police say Red Fort car blast was from CNG cylinder? PIB factchecks viral claim

Amid ongoing investigation on the car blast near Delhi's Red Fort on Nov 10, the Government of India has confirmed that Special CP (Law & Order) Ravindra Yadav has not called the blast as a CNG explosion. Press Information Bureau (PIB), the Government of India's nodal agency to disseminate fake news said that there was no such statement was made by Special CP (Law & Order) Ravindra Yadav and the incident is being investigated by concerned authorities. PIB was referring to several social media posts wherein it was claimed that Ravindra Yadav dismissed the possibility of the attack being a terror act and called it a CNG explosion. This comes as Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that "investigative agencies are “exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account.”

The PIB also factchecked images related to Delhi blast and called out “propaganda accounts.” It said that these were old images and were being circulated and linked with blast in Delhi.

What we know so far in the case?

Delhi Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) invoking terrorism and the Explosives Act. The FIR includes Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deal with terrorist acts and the punishment for supporting terrorism, a Delhi Police spokesperson said. Meanwhile, CCTV footage has surfaced in which the suspect is seen. According to news agency ANI, a lone suspect is seen entering and exiting the car parking area. A footage shows the I-20 driver wearing a black mask moments before the blast. Another footage shows him inside the car the car entering the parking lot with the driver’s hand resting on the window, while another image shows him wearing a blue-and-black T-shirt. The owner of the car, identified as Mohd Salman, has been detained by the police. Salman reportedly sold to vehicle to a person in Okhla, who then sold it to a resident of Ambala. The car was then sold to an individual from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. The police have detained two individuals in Pulwama for questioning in the matter.

What PM Modi said?

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that those responsible for the deadly blast “will not be spared” and “will be brought to justice”. He made the remarks during his visit to Bhutan. “Today, I come here with a very heavy heart. The horrific incident that took place in Delhi yesterday evening has deeply saddened everyone. I understand the grief of the affected families. The entire nation stands with them today,” PM Modi said. The prime minister further added, “I was in touch with all the agencies investigating this incident throughout last night. Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The conspirators behind this will not be spared.” Defence minister Rajnath Singh also issued a stern warning. “I want to firmly assure the nation that those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice and will not be spared under any circumstances,” the minister said.